Curse of the Young
by Moonfoxgazer
Summary: What would happen if one day our favorite Italian Assassin was turned back into a little kid, with no recollection of memories past the age of ten? What will happen now that Italia's Assassin is a kid? Ezio with OC guardian figure, no mature content.
1. Templar Brew

It was early Autumn in the year of our lord, 1507. The city of Roma was at peace again, but that is not where this tale occurs.

Trouble was brewing up north, in the gleaming jewel of a city, Firenze. In the catacombs under the city, a secret meeting was being held. Three men were gathered at a table in the center of the space they occupied. The same table that many years ago, the Spanish cardinal and his allies, the Pazzi family had gathered, plotting their conquest over Italia. But, this group of men were not the men from that meeting long ago.

The man at the head of the table was rather robust, and his bony face was hidden by a dark azure cowl. His auburn hair covered his sinister, black eyes.

At the other end of the table was a Frenchman, who wore a mask of carnival. He wore a dark cowl, that failed to cover his face. His long orange hair was messily cut and strands of it fell in the Frenchie's face.

The other man was a guard, wearing the normal Tuscan uniform, his mouth wasn't covered by the helmet he wore, showing his brown caterpillar mustache.

It was the robust man who spoke now to the group. "So, you are sure this curse will work on that pest of an Assassin? I don't want any failures, there is too much at stake!" He said sternly.

"I assure you that it will work my friends, we will soon taste victory fully!" The Frenchman answered, pulling a large black book out from under his cowl. On the cover was a large Templar cross, it studded with bright jewels, "This has the solution to our problems."

The guard gave a loud laugh at the notion, "A book? How is some glittering book the solution?"

At this the Frenchman went over to the guard, making not a sound. Once in the guards face he began again. "This book had the means to eliminate that Assassin pest! Once I've done this deed, I need you to go and see if the curse worked. Understand?" The guard nodded quickly.

The robust Templar growled to the Frenchie, "You better not fail us! Else I'd have to tear you apart limb from limb!"

The Frenchman opened the book and flipped to a page filled with dark scribbles and sketches, "Does this look like a failure? Centuries of Templar dark sorcery and alchemy are within these pages, perfected! There is absolutely no chance of failure my friend."

"Pa, Sorcery. Until I see this elimination is truly legit I think you a lair!" The guard spat out.

The Frenchie grinned, "I already assured you that it will be legit! Trust me!"

"French swine! You all are bastardi!" growled the guards as he paced away.

The French Templar also took his leave, tucking the book back under his cowl, "I also must take my leave, It is time for the Auditore pest to disappear for good!" He laughed grimly.

Meanwhile the Assassin went about Firenze. He was in a grim mood and did not want to be bothered. It was that time of year, the time of dark remembrance and inner sorrow and regret. The peasants knew this time of year for the Harvest and for the peculiar little white feathers that seemed to flutter about harmlessly.

The unknown hero of Italy had just finished the task he had gone to Firenze for and was now heading back to his old, abandoned palazzo. The Assassin came to give respect to his lost kin's souls. The fluttering feathers, his memorial to them. He was going to rest then head back to Roma.

Ezio Auditore Da Firenze was close to home and rest.


	2. Salute Bambino

Firenze, Autumn 1507

The backstreets were filled with the sound of quick, pattering footsteps upon the cobbles beneath. Two men ran haste, one in full retreat the other chasing his quarry. Both men sprinted, occasionally punching civilians down causing an uproar. The guards ignored the men, blowing off the disturbance as a simple quarrel that had went astray, though their thoughts were completely off.

Eventually the men reached an alley, one inescapable bu any means. One man, dark cowled and fatigued, backed up into the alley till his back touched the wall, hands up in worry. The pursuer dressed in white robes of a Roman taste descended upon the cowering man, easing closer with every light step.

"Kill me now you cur, spare the endless wait. Send me to Death's embrace, it would be far more welcoming than this life of wrath and tears." The cowering man begged, his pleas thick of French origin, "Your a Bastard, son of a whore!"

The white robed man came up to the French man, anger in his grip when he shoved the man harder into the wall, all with such lethal grace. Now the Frenchman pleaded more and faster, though throwing more petty insults to the Assassin's face.

"Oh kill me you wretched Assassin! Kill me like you do the others, for it's the only thing you know how to do, wasted your time learning to murder, ruining great city with your evil talents" The Frenchman spat out then changed his pleas to mercy once he noticed the Assassin was going to kill him then and there, "Wait! Don't kill me! I have no place for Death's embrace for the world is where I must stay. Oh Assassin, don't make me another tally for your list of murders!"

The Assassin sighed heavily, annoyed and running out of patience. He flicked his left hand back and a sharp blade came out of the bracer he wore. As the assassin had revealed his blade the Frenchman had grabbed something from a side pouch, then the started to laugh as if he was a drunken man. The Assassin pulled back at that, suddenly wary but also thrown off.

Noticing the sudden change in his foe, the Frenchman seized the opportunity and pushed the Assassin off of him, making the other stumble back a bit. He smirked then went over to the Assassin, throwing the object in his hand on the ground. The alleyway quickly filled up with black smoke, making it nearly impossible to seem, then the Frenchman grabbed his foe who was irritated.

"Bastardo." The Assassin muttered to the Frenchman, then he spat on his face, making the Frenchman let him go to wipe the saliva off. Now the Assassin tried to run off, knowing that it would be impossible to fight in such smoky conditions. He wiped the sweat on his brow and continued walking, in what he thought was the way out from the alley.

The Frenchman cursed his luck at the moment then tried to find his foe, which he eventually did. He bounded to the Assassin then stopped at the Assassin's ear, whispering in a dark and ominous way, "Now you are as you should be, tall and powerful, but when you awaken next you'll be small and weak, not remembering now nor that of any past the age of young."

"What, Speak sense you French swine!" the Assassin cried out in frustration, but the Frenchman had already bounded off leaving the Assassin there in the smoke filled alleyway to muse at the cryptic words.

The Assassin suddenly felt fatigued and knew he should go and rest for a bit, there was still a lot of work to be done. He began to find his way through the alley, being cautious as he went about, when he blacked out, everything fading from sight and only the lull of rest called out to him. Unknown to him he passed out and fell up the dusty cobbles as vulnerable as a tiny child.

During the whole commotion a kind Mistress wandered through the Florentine marketplace, peering at the merchant's wares as if interested in purchasing an item from them. She looked at the items enticed, thought she did not buy them, for she had a specific list of items to get from the man she came to Firenze with. The Mistress did, though, buy some cloth and such for a gift she was making for her companion, it was almost done but she had ran out of cloth for a tiny part of it and needed to buy more, so she did.

As the Mistress pondered about the merchant's wares and her little gift, several distresses pheasants entered the market place. One in filthy rags spoke first, addressing the crowd, "The alleys are filled with dark smoke, we could hardly breath, a hooded man chases an innocent tourist, a Frenchman in fact! Thought the two runners seemed to have disappeared."

"Perhaps it's the Assassin" a person in the crowd muttered.

Then her friend said, "Will you shut up about that, you've been saying that since Savonarola's death, I've told you before; The Assassin is only a bogeyman told to children to make them behave."

"You've never believed, even when Firenze was saved, then Vienza and now Roma!" the first girl sighed crossing her arms and walking away from the crowd.

"I saw the Frenchman get away, though no sign of his pursuer, maybe he was ended in that blackened alley." Another citizen said, "I would go look but that smoke is ghastly."

Another ragged man spoke, "Maybe it's a building set ablaze, we still have those problems... A fire building fills alleys with smoke quickly, even more so than a pile of parchments."

The first pheasant spoke again, "I am assured that there isn't a fire, perhaps one of those newfangled smoke bombs, I've seen them several times, though not as thick as the alley." He paused then continued, "I saw all of this near the abandoned Palazzo, of what house I forgotten, but the family was pushed out long ago."

The crowd continued on with their debates and such as the Mistress backed away, a terrible thought lingered in her thoughts now; What if that was her friend, the man who had accompanied her to Firenze. Mio Dio! What if he was hurt in that alley?She backed away a bit more then began to sprint, gripping her wares tightly against her chest, running as fast as she could with the items, oh God she wished she had brought a sack or basket now for the items. The Mistress ran through some of the alleys and backstreets, avoiding the crowded streets most likely filled with distraught citizens.

A good half hour later she reached the alley the pheasants were gossiping about, the black smoke barely lingered, only tiny remnants floated around. They were also right about the location, only a street away from the Palazzo Auditore, which was pretty much abandoned except for the occasional visit. She wandered down the alley, wary, expecting anything to happen. What she saw though was nothing compared to her thoughts, in fact it totally caught her off guard.

At first the Mistress saw nothing, but as she wandered the alley she came upon a person, a tiny child, passed out upon the cobbles. She ran over to the child, setting her wares down before kneeling down next to the child, a young boy, about the age of Ten. She looked at him carefully, something seemed dreadfully familiar.

Quickly realization struck the woman, making her gasp, pressing a concerned hand to her lips. The boy was her friend, the man who had brought her to Firenze. Oh Dios Mio! Only a few hours ago her friend was a full grown man, not a child, so why was he a kid again? The woman quickly pulled herself together knowing that she had to care and protect her friend now, her every action now would affect her as well as him now. Carefully she scooped the child into her arms, hoping he would awaken soon.

He then, abet slowly, came back into consciousness, blinking slowly. He looked at the Mistress with bright golden eyes, which quickly faded to a sober hazel shade. The boy still seemed a bit fazed though now he greeted the woman holding him, "Buon Giourno." His voice was of childish silk, taking the Mistress by surprise again.

"Ezio... Dios Mio... You shrank..." The Mistress was barely able to whisper to her friend, still startled.

The boy, Ezio, looked at her confused for a moment then replied, "No... I have always been this way, no bigger. I haven't shrank a bit!"

The Mistress now sat down and stared at him, trying to think. She had no idea on what to do then, "Oh boy..." she muttered, getting another confused look from Ezio. She sat a few minutes longer, then she tried to figure something out, "Do you remember me at all Ezio?"

"No, not really..." He answered with a shake of his head as he shifted positions in her lap.

the woman rubbed her temples trying to think of a solution to this problem. After a tiny bit she began, "Very well then. My name is Dee, I'm a good friend of yours that in time your very sure to remember me."

At that Ezio cheered up a bit, nodded then blurted out, "Okay!"

Dee looked at the boy a bit longer then scooped him up again, then she grabbed her wares and began on her way to the Palazzo Auditore, a much more private place than the city streets, especially an alley. She entered the Palazzo's courtyard once she reached it and set Ezio down on his feet then closed the gate, locking it as well. She turned now and looked at Ezio who was running about the courtyard happily.

Watching Ezio being so happy and carefree almost brought tears to Dee's eyes, her heart heavy by the thoughts of how different this boy was from the man she knew. She remembered as a stern mentor, always chiding those of the Brotherhood on many aspects of life, she was not used to such a carefree Ezio, that was for sure. Now Ezio was a happy boy with no worries and all the love to give, and then a curious thought came to Dee; Was that how Ezio was as a child, so much had changed in the years past.

Dee then smiled and asked Ezio, "Ezio, please tell me what you remember, anything past what you remember now."

"Well it's not much signora, but I believe that you were a very kind person to me." the boy said going to her with a tiny smile on his face.

Dee smiled softly at that, "Si, we were very good friends. You and I used to give the guards a lot of trouble." She tucked her knees into her chest and pulled her dress over a bit more, "Do you like feathers?"

Ezio smiled with a nod, "Si, I love feathers, my brothers and I are always collecting them together!"

"I thought as much" Dee mused, pulling a feather from her sleeve, giving it to the boy before her, "You used to compete with me to see who could collect the most..."

Ezio smiled at the feather, then cuddled with it sweetly, giggling happily. Dee grinned watching him, staring as a matter of fact, then sighed.


End file.
